For those of you about to do something that makes you nervous (public speaking, sending out your first manuscript, doing a book signing, etc.) Maria Sharapova, tennis star, has this to say, "If I'm nervous, it means I had to work hard to get there, whether it's playing in a tournament or speaking at an event. So I try to stop and be proud of getting to live in that moment." (from Oprah Magazine, June 2011)I can see the butterflies flying away right now...

I'm thrilled to announce Sylvan Dell will publish my fiction picture book, Warm in the Winter Tail. The scheduled release date is fall 2012 and Christina Wald will illustrate. Her work is beautiful and I can't wait to see how she interprets the text. In addition to their reach into trade and educational markets, Sylvan Dell Publishing is at the forefront of digital books. From their website: Award-winning picture books that integrate Science, Math, and Geography . . . plus interactive eBook technology and Spanish Translation.Check them out!

I hestitate to share this info because every person who reads this book will become a better writer which creates more competition for me! Luckily, good triumphs over evil today and I've decided to pass along a recommendation for Cheryl Klein's new book on writing called Second Sight. Cheryl (see how I'm on a first name basis with her since I read her book?) is senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (edited the Harry Potter series among other wonderful books), a highly successful imprint of Scholastic. Here is a blurb about Second Sight from her website: http://cherylklein.com/second-sight/Whether you dream of writing a book for children or young adults, or you want to take a finished manuscript to the next level, it always helps to get a fresh point of view. Try a little Second Sight. In this collection of talks, a professional editor offers insights from the other side of the publishing desk on a wide range of writerly topics:+ Terrific first lines and how they got that way+ What makes a strong picture book manuscript+ Why the Harry Potter series was such a tremendous success+ Worksheets and checklists for building characters and bolstering plot+ Finding the emotional heart of your story+ The Annotated Query Letter from Hell+ And an Annotated Query Letter That Does It Right

Bill Herrera (Pedro Pane) and I just completed a great morning of back-to-back talks to the American History classes at Marquette Senior High School on the topic of "When Cuba Came to Marquette." Each of the four groups of students brought their own energy -- and great questions for Bill like:

How long did it take to learn English? Are drugs a problem in Cuba? Have you ever gone back to Cuba? Are you still close with the boys you met here? Where did you work? What were your first impressions of the United States?You'll have to come to our next presentation to hear the answers! Thanks again, Guillermo.